A New Northwest Music Video, Border City Rock Talk, And More!!

Before we dive into fallout from last night's big concert, let's clear out some more backlogged news stories in today's post, including new material from a rising young metal guitarist, some very belated details on a local rock journalist's return to interviewing, and leading off, a new song from an upcoming album! Here's what you should know!

The second single from local indie/punk quintet The Northwest's upcoming third EP "All In" can now be heard on major streaming services and within their new music video! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Thursday, the video (directed by Andrew Sowka) features hands holding Polaroid photographs framed over the widescreen view of the picture-in-hand, and the song's lyrics progressively appear on the bottom of the Polaroid. If that's not your speed, the lyrics are also in the video description. Interesting approach and it's well made for what The Northwest were going for! They got a second interview with Niagara Falls music website From The Strait yesterday, where writer Kris Goetz asked an unidentified band member about this song's inspiration, their songwriting process, who they'd like to tour with, getting played on Hockey Night In Canada, and what helps The Northwest stand out as a band.

While the repeat coverage from an out-of-town site rather than a local one may seem a little odd, remember that The Northwest are getting more and more eyeballs on them thanks to the Hockey Night In Canada appearances and their own acknowledged talents & experience, and the interview gives us some good insight into what they're aiming for nowadays! I'll hold comment on "Shorelines" for now, pending our eventual review of "All In", but give The Northwest's new music video a watch below!

Next up, I wanted to give a long overdue spotlight to a local journalist and interviewer who we had talked about pre-pandemic, namely Ernest "Che" Skinner, who wrote the Rock Talk column for SaultOnline in the late 2010s before moving over to Wawa-News.com in February 2019. Well, he left that site as well and has since went independent, via last summer's launch of Border City Rock Talk, which specializes primarily in coverage of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and his own classic-leaning rock music reviews, interviews, and opinion pieces. For the most part, his rock articles on Border City Rock Talk so far have not been hyper-focused on local bands or concerts, but remember that the pandemic has been a steady concern. Still, Ernest has gotten some very big gets for both print and video interviews that you can read on their website and their YouTube channel! For example, who all has Che interviewed for YouTube in the past year?

Among others, you can check out interviews with Twisted Sister's Dee Snider, Triumph's Rik Emmet, Spinal Tap and The Simpsons' Harry Shearer, Great White's Jack Russell, and Helix's Brian Vollmer, so clearly Ernest is doing the right things to attract some big names! I will embed one here, as it crosses both the hard rock and local concert line, namely Ernest's 15 minute interview with Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd from last August, which was obviously in advance of Buckcherry's headlining date at Soo Blaster in October. Apologies for this being so late, I didn't know Ernest had resumed his rock interviews and writing until very recently. The interview has Ernest asking Josh about their new album "Hellbound", Josh's fandom of Minor Threat, how the tour was going at that point, what to expect from Buckcherry's setlist, what critics think, the struggle with alcoholism, Josh's work as a phlebotomist, ...

...and how the pandemic personally affected him. While there are a few hesistant points with Ernest's questions, this was a casual and well handled interview that goes along well with what he's been doing for so long now, and at least the Buckcherry show went on as planned last fall! Hopefully we'll see more from Border City Rock Talk that crosses over with local concerts & musicians as bookings tick up this year, but give his Josh Todd interview a watch below, read and view much more above, and Border City Rock Talk is finally linked on the SMS!

Finally, I wanted to give another spotlight to local metal guitarist Shane Desjardins, who has recently resumed working on original material under his project name Red Ruins Me! We've mentioned him on the SMS in 2019 and in 2020, and while I don't believe Red Ruins Me has a social media presence beyond their YouTube channel, Shane did post a "full album" there last month named "Resurrect", followed by a pair of instrumental deathcore tracks & two live videos. One is a compilation of guitar riffs, while the other sees Shane & a friend covering Killswitch Engage's "Rose of Sharyn" (albeit with the original song very loud). I don't know if Red Ruins Me will ever expand beyond free YouTube postings, but Shane is a talented songwriter with a good ear for brutal riffs that honestly remind me of something you'd hear in an action video game soundtrack at times! Give his music a listen above & below, and look for a surprise Rolling Stones cover!

That's all for today, but if all goes well, we will start looking at B.L.S. concert fallout tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Mike McCleary - "Weight Of The World" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 110th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at "Weight of the World", the recent re-packaging of two albums from local hard rock solo artist Mike McCleary! We chose this album over other recent hard rock/punk album releases from the likes of Redundant, SweetKenny, and Sykotyk Rampage due to it's earlier release, as it won't be "new" much longer. Independently recorded since last year and released to his Bandcamp page on March 11th, this release unites the 2018 revamp of his debut studio album "In Ruins" with his second release/first EP, January's "Hourglass", making this review a 2-for-1 package, complete with one exclusive track! However, Mike has stated that he saw "In Ruins" as the sequel to "Hourglass" despite it's earlier initial release, and it is appropriately placed on "Weight of the World". Featuring Mike on vocals and all credited instruments, "Weight of the World" is available on a "name your price" model at the above links, a change from earlier priced copies.

Given that this album was separately released as two different albums, you can buy them apart with the same pricing structure, though remember that you won't get the closing song "Bismarck" if you buy them this way. Also, I'm not reviewing the original version of "In Ruins" here, for 3 reasons: Mike took it down and heavily changed it on purpose, this review's gonna be long enough already, and with only 3 surviving songs from the original copy, it's basically a different album now as a result. With 14 songs running for over an hour in total length, let's begin our review of "Weight of the World"!

This album begins with the five songs on Mike's "Hourglass" EP, whose lyrics and themes focus on contemporary social issues as a warning to civilization. The first track is "Be Us", which revolves around gender & racial discrimination issues like assimilation and the refugee crisis. A hard rocking number that builds nicely to the choruses, the song has a good edge to it, and Mike's melodic singing is a good match! The song's well performed, but aside from the bridge, there isn't a lot of variance to this song and it's structure once you get past the first chorus. The song is a solid rocker if you don't mind that though! Second is "Carousel", which alludes to the cycle of trying to survive with a low income despite constant inflation, though the song's name plays into the music proper, taking on a carnival music theme in the verses, complete with some more progressive guitar riffing. Points for creativity, though the choruses are a little too talky as Mike tries to fit in the lyrics.

"Carousel" is a fun listen, especially with the lyrics contrasting well with the music, but if you like radio hard rock, the experimentation here may lose you. Then we have "Fire & Fury", which is about if global conflict is necessary, complete with audio samples of political speeches by three American presidents (one of which providing the source of this song's name.) This track has two basic themes, with the verses taking on a low morose structure before Mike suddenly amps up the aggression and intensity on the choruses, and while jarring at first, it's effective! The song is well composed and the tonal shifts work well, and while this is an early highlight, less politically minded listeners may not take to the minute-long sample bridge.  Fourth up is "Lest Ye Be Judged", inspired by the West Memphis Three murder trial in 1993 and how that case was handled. While the lyrical stretches maintain a mid-tempo, serious vibe, Mike's extended guitar solo is arguably the best I've heard from him yet, showing his technical skill very nicely!

While this song is worth a listen for the guitar solo alone, the verses and choruses work well in their styles, and for someone who's followed the case and Damien Echols' art & writings, it's nice to see a local musician show their support for the West Memphis Three and the injustice they dealt with! The original EP's title track & closer "Hourglass" follows the preceding number in it's themes about looking to blame someone rather than actually finding a solution, and how the former can lead to negative consequences. The longest individual song on "Weight of the World", this song runs for it's first 5:30 as a slower, deliberate song exploring the politically charged message, with Mike's serious low singing a good match for the draw out guitar work, but he does let loose on guitar for a heavier faster close to the song, possibly a thematically reference to global conflict ahead of the sequel. Not my favourite song on the "Hourglass" half just for it's largely downbeat mood, but it ends well!

The seventh song is also the first on the March 2018 re-release of Mike's 2017 debut album "In Ruins", which was heavily re-worked from it's original form, with only 3 returning songs on the now-canon reissue. Thematically, this album reflects "the aftermath" of the events warned on the "Hourglass" EP, and it starts here with with "Interlude", which originally was part of the next song "Lost", but was broken into it's own mini-track for "Weight of the World". Running for an album-low 66 seconds, this just has various simplistic notes being played, some reminding me of a xylophone. This all suggesting a ticking clock, possibly following the global conflict alluded to on "Hourglass", and while it's not much of a song on it's own, it sets the mood for the oncoming full songs well enough!

In this re-issued form, "Lost" immediately begins with Mike singing in a sinister carnival barker style (anyone else getting a "This Is Halloween" vibe?), with the choruses shifting abruptly into a more musically driven, standard format. The politically charged, socially conscious lyrics continue in full force here, and while the verses will be an acquired taste for many listeners, Mike does showcase his guitar skill for an extended period, and the drum track is a good match on the choruses! Then we have "Naive", which is one of the hold-overs from the original "In Ruins" album. A mid-tempo, downbeat studio track aside from a heavier bridge late, this is one of Mike's better overall compositions on this album as a pure musician, with some shining guitar melodies in the instrumental stretches, but there seems to be a vocal effect that makes his singing sound too muffled and processed. Still, fans of Mike's less aggressive music should be right at home on this one!

Track #9 is another track that survived the "In Ruins" reboot, namely "Childish Leaders", a double meaning name referencing both the conduct of major global heads of state, and how we could be better off if children were leading governments. A shorter and harder edged song, this song has a catchy vibe and what sounds like a funk inspiration on the riffing, but that flute effect in the backing instrumentation is woefully out of place, and the music cadence sometimes struggles to accommodate some of Mike's lyrics. The softer last 30 seconds ends things on a happier note, and while this song isn't consistently on point, the heavy nature (musically and thematically) works well! Next is "Aylan", inspired by the death of 3 year old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi, which was highly publicized in news media in late 2015. The third and final returning song from "In Ruins" 1.0, this sees Mike dive into an upbeat punk sound, which is an interesting contrast to the serious lyrics.

As a pure musical composition, this song gives Mike a nice showcase at a different side of his range, and he could definitely handle punk music on a more frequent basis! His scream at the end is also well placed, but the song fades out far too abruptly, and a more distinct chorus would have helped. Next up is "Disavowed", which is a heavier and darker song overall in it's first half and closing stretch, but the vocals don't go along with that, as Mike sings in a lower, monotone register throughout. I don't find that matches up well here, but Mike's extended guitar solos do give this song an added jolt, and are predictably well performed. I'd have had more forceful, heavier singing for a song of this tone, but the music holds up really nicely! Another heavier song follows with "Introspection", which has a steady grinding sound and better suited vocals, with the bass track particularly working well here, as does another really solid guitar solo!

While not musically ambitious compared to some earlier tracks, this delivers the hard rock goods and feels more like a complete song with all the parts falling into place nicely, and this is definitely an album highlight! The last song on the separate version of "In Ruins" is "Bad Hand", which has a more simple, laid back instrumentation in the verses, but Mike varies his singing into a more upbeat, melodic nature, albeit with more direct political references to specific world leaders, with poker references used heavily in the choruses. Another interesting contrast from lyrics to music here, this is a fun song if you can look past the political imagery, but the ending is too abrupt, and I tend to go for Mike's more aggressive music overall. "Weight of the World" ends with it's exclusive track "Bismarck", which reflects armed conflicts of World War II that Mike found interesting, though this is strictly thematic, as it's the album's only instrumental ("Interlude" aside.)

With no lyrics to worry about, this is honestly Mike's best showcase as a pure musician on "Weight of the World", with each intended battle (as seen here) getting it's own distinct musical approach, from heavy and fast to slower and dark, and the guitar, bass, and drum tracks all get moments in the sun! As such, this hardly feels like it's almost 7 minutes long, and it has a little something for everyone (except vocals), so I'd definitely get this album for this song if you have the choice!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Weight of the World" and it's original source albums? Overall, this is a solid effort with well written lyrics and some excellent musical passages, and it's great to see someone expressing themselves politically and socially in this manner! No everyone will agree with Mike McCleary's opinions on the included songs, but his opinions and stances are clear as day, and they tend to lend themselves well to hard rock music, especially with songs on the "In Ruins" re-release, which I found to be stronger pound-for-pound than "Hourglass". Mike seems to let his guitar skills fly more on that album, but as this is a combined re-release, you don't have to take sides. Songs like "Lest Ye Be Judged", "Aylan", and "Introspection" worked best for my musical tastes, while "Bismarck" is too good to be relegated to just a re-release bonus! That said, some songs struggled a bit to match Mike's well written lyrics with the music naturally, and others faded out too abruptly for my taste.

My biggest note is that some songs have too much dissonance between the serious lyrical themes and the more upbeat/casual nature of their music, and if there was intentional irony in that, it wasn't overtly obvious. We haven't heard much from Mike McCleary musically this summer, but he's a very talented and socially conscious musician, and this album continues his progression upward from the preceding CD "Weight of the Truth", so be sure to check those and his more recent albums at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming next month? I don't 100% know, but it will be a new album review! At this juncture, three different albums are in the running (Sykotyk Rampage's "Live at the Paris Hilton", SweetKenny's "Management", and Redundant's self-titled debut EP), and while I'm currently leaning towards the original crash band based on earlier release date, Redundant would jump ahead in line if they had a September concert lined up.

In any event, stay tuned for that next month, and for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

New Albums From Shit Liver & Mike McCleary, Plus A Dire Setback's Album Plans!

We're back with a new news post for your Friday morning reading, and we're almost entirely focused on new albums today, including 2 (well, 3-ish) new albums on sale this week, plus one more now underway, so here's what you should know on those and related topics!

Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver released their second full length album "Hitting the Fan" as scheduled on Tuesday! Yes, this fan favourite metal group have finally unveiled their sophomore studio effort via their Bandcamp page, and you can now buy it there for $5, while vinyl record copies of the album are also now on sale via mail order! They have 550 hand numbered discs in red vinyl stock, with a poster and lyric sheet in the package, and they are taking orders before they hit the road. "Hitting the Fan" on vinyl costs $20 + shipping, so e-mail shitliverbooking@gmail.com if you must have a copy of the album before (or if you can't attend) their tour! The album proper includes 10 songs, namely "Evacuation", "Makes Me Sick", "Just Take It", "It Won't Change", "Liverated", "Cirrhosis", "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops", "Livin' In Shit", "Wait", and the title track, which just about covers their remaining original material that hadn't made it to their debut CD!

Also, belated apologies for erroneously indicating that "Unabomber" was their own song, it was originally by the band Macabre. You can also buy "Hitting the Fan" on vinyl at The Algonquin Pub on Friday, April 6th during their local tour stop, but there has been a lineup change, as local indie/hard rock quartet Id Iota have quietly replaced Vol. on the bill for unannounced reasons, though note that Vol. never publically acknowledged this event. Hopefully all's well in Vol.'s camp, and Id Iota's addition maintains the widely varying genre spread for this concert, so see above for more details on it! Speaking of which, Shit Liver also announced the entire run of tour dates in support of "Hitting the Fan" on their Facebook page yesterday, which confirm that they will kick off the tour right here on April 6th, before heading out west to British Columbia, then across country to the Maritimes, before finishing up in Quebec and Peterborough in mid-May, with only Newfoundland and P.E.I. not covered among the 10 provinces.

Note that if a Soo encore was to be scheduled, it'd have to take place on April 26th between their planned Thunder Bay and Timmins dates, but that is strictly a hypothetical scenario on my part. It's surprising that they don't have a St. Catharine's date on the tour (granted, they tend to play there more often enough), but it's great to see everything shaping up well for "Hitting the Fan" and their upcoming cross-country trek! See above for more details, and look for our CD review next month!

Next up, here's another new album release of sorts, namely local hard rock solo artist Mike McCleary's revamped debut album "In Ruins"! Originally released in June 2017 to streaming services before being taken down for revisions (including re-recordings, new cover art, and track removals), this self-produced and recorded album now features the songs "Lost", "Naive", "Childish Leaders", "Aylan", "Disavowed", "Introspection", and "Bad Hand". Of these songs, only "Naive", "Disavowed", & "Aylan" were on the original version of "In Ruins", unless Mike renamed certain tracks, with the other songs (including all acoustic variants) being removed or shifted over to his prior full length album "Weight of the Truth." Despite being his original first album, Mike noted on his Facebook page that he considers "In Ruins" to be a sequel to his January EP "Hourglass", and as such, has released the two albums in a special combined release called "Weight of the World" also!

That release also contains one bonus track not on either prior album, an instrumental named "Bismarck" that Mike teases is a preview of styles to expect on his next album after these. "In Ruins" is now on sale on Bandcamp for $5, with "Weight of the World" going for $8 (which is cheaper than buying it's source albums separately), and you can stream both there as well! That all said, don't expect a review of either album until August at the earliest due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer, but "Weight of the World" is my preference for it's amount and exclusive track. Mike's working at a fast pace on his new material, so check out his talented array of music above!

Finally, I can't put this off any longer: Local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback have begun pre-production for their debut album, and YOU can help make it a reality! The guys have launched a Patreon page to help crowd-fund the album, but unlike Kickstarter, the aim isn't necessarily for one goal, but to support ongoing creative work, with exclusive perks and content for paying regularly each month (Theatre of Night attempted a page there back in 2015.) A.D.S. indicated on Patreon that Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle is producing the album, and all proceeds from Patreon will go toward mixing and mastering their debut, with individual song releases expected when ready, plus they implied that help will be needed when picking album artwork and making music videos. If you donate even $1 a month, you'll get exclusive content on Patreon, but giving up to $30 could get you first crack at tickets, autographed merchandise, exclusive offers, name credit in the liner notes, and more.

A Dire Setback have begun work on click tracks and setting tempos for their originals, and while "exclusive video access" for Patreon backers is teased, they did post one public video to their new YouTube channel on Thursday, which features Chris, Matt, and Nick playing "Catastrophe" in studio (and in black & white.) Raw and unpolished, but the guys are on their way and very serious about getting this album complete! It's surprising that they're moving so fast despite playing live just once with this lineup so far, but hopefully this crowdfunding campaign takes off where prior local music ones didn't! See above and below for more on their album plans!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's poll results and our new poll on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Havadder), More Concert Previews, And New Tuned Episodes!!

We're back with (barring very late notice concert announcements) our second & last concert preview post for the weekend, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS concerning a local favourite at two different events, an extra preview for a metal show tomorrow night, and looks at some recent episodes of a popular webseries! For reference, a second post is coming today, be it a news post with late notice shows, or this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, so stay tuned, and here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder have a busy weekend ahead, with a one night only return to The Rednecks Saloon TONIGHT and a set at the annual Ride For Sight motorcycle rally/fundraiser TOMORROW NIGHT at Searchmont Resort! Apologies for the short notice on both, we only received formal public confirmation of their involvement in both shows in the last couple of days. TONIGHT'S Rednecks Saloon show will be their first there (and second total) since drummer Scott McLurg's return from his recent heart attack, so if you want to help welcome him back to the stage, tomorrow's a good opportunity in a familiar spot! Obviously, they're not playing at Rednecks tomorrow, as they'll be join local country cover quartet Bone Yard on the evening lineup for TOMORROW'S Ride For Sight, the annual blindness fundraising/research event that will see a motorcycle rally through the Soo and various entertainment events at the Searchmont homebase, including bike games, dinner, prizes, and more!

Note that local country musician Lorrie Bolduc & Sinners bandmate Marco Pedalino, and local First Nations musicians, will play matinee sets at 5:30 PM as well, so keep that in mind too if you're at Searchmont early! Havadder's Rednecks show TONIGHT is a 10:00 PM affair with a 19+ age limit and no cover, while Ride For Sight lists them and Bone Yard tomorrow at 9:00 PM, which has no cover, and is presumably ALL AGES. Whether you're a fan, fundraiser, or rider, click here & here, and visit the above links for more details on both shows! Great to see the guys supporting a great cause, and if you can't make it up to Searchmont, consider a trip to Rednecks tonight! See above for more info, and here's Havadder live last month!



Next up, here's a preview of a previously announced concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT, as Toronto melodic metalcore quintet Out Of The Ruins will make their local concert debut at the aforementioned Rednecks Saloon! An aggressive, female-fronted band that have been making steady waves in recent years, their hard hitting hardcore originals should get a great response tomorrow night, so be sure to check them out and see what you think! The local opening slot has been a carousel of sorts, with four different bands (The Bear Hunters, the soon-to-be-defunct Beaumont Avenue & Haggith, and most recently Project 421) all dropping out of the show for varying reasons in recent weeks, but promoters have finally secured local alternative/acid rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din to open the concert, returning Mike Haggith & Curtis McKenzie to this show after the band Haggith's prior withdrawal. Nice of the guys to step in on short notice, marking the second time in as many days that they're filling in for Project 421, so come early to see them in action!

A co-production of PaperClip Productions & Mitch Sirie, this concert has a 9:30 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and a $5 cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! With a local opener finally locked in, this will be a solid concert for metalheads, as Out Of The Ruins have some vicious originals, and The Din are on the rise, so check the above links for more info for TOMORROW NIGHT, and here's Out Of The Ruins live!

We'll close this post with the two newest episodes of Local2's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper, both concerning concerts last month that new local hard rock trio Caroline Divine played at, so what should you know? The first episode from last week comes from Tidal Records' Go Skateboarding Day event at the skatepark at Queen Elizabeth Park on Father's Day, which uniquely begins with Tidal Records owner Dustin Jones introducing the episode on a megaphone! In it, Donna asks Dustin about why music & skateboarding mesh so well, the challenges involved in hosting the event, new signings to the label, his own skateboarding past and family involvement, and upcoming plans for the label. The only real scoops involve Tidal Records updates, like that they signed rapper Conika (who missed the event due to illness) to the label, and that they plan to go bigger with next year's Go Skate Day, but it's a solid and informative interview on Tidal Records' increasing interests and local plans!

In terms of music, there are clips of Garden of Bedlam's headlining set interspersed throughout the video, and you can hear DJ Seith in the background during the interview, but the focus is more on the label and the event than individual bands. It'd be interesting to see a Garden of Bedlam-headlined episode of Tuned, but this one has great footage from Go Skateboarding Day, so check it out above! Remember, Local2's video host doesn't allow external embedding.

Finally, the newest episode of Tuned (posted yesterday) focuses on the aforementioned Caroline Divine from their set at last month's Lopstock II "bohemian conclave" at LopLops Lounge, so what can you see in this episode? Within, Donna interviews all three members of the band about why they didn't keep The Frasiers as the name for the new band, how they view the development of the local indie rock scene, the members' family influences, their recording and tour plans for the future, and if there's any competition that they've seen among local bands, with footage from their Lopstock set scattered throughout as well. In terms of news we hadn't heard elsewhere, the guys noted that baggage from ex-members & the lack of real meaning was why they didn't recycle the Frasiers name, they have recorded some demo tracks, and they hope to go around to different studios before recording more formal material. This is another good episode of Tuned with light and funny banter, so give it a look at the above links, and stay tuned for more from Caroline Divine!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for either a new news post or this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Out Of The Ruins), Recent Event Coverage, And New Videos!!

Before we get into this post, I wanted to apologize for some missed concerts this past weekend, as two local classic/hard rock bands played shows that went unannounced on band pages: Lucky 13 on Friday and yesterday at The Rednecks Saloon, and Mourning Wood at Reggie's Place yesterday following their set at Friday's Reggie's 25th anniversary street party. Both only received personal Facebook page plugs late last night, too late for us to cover them in a SMS post. Apologies again for missing these, we would have plugged them had either band mentioned them in advance!

Now, today's post features new video postings, recent concert coverage in news media, and leading off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as a new metal concert will be hitting The Rednecks Saloon on Saturday, July 11th, which will be headlined by Toronto metalcore quintet Out Of The Ruins! A multi-gender band featuring intense yet melodic originals, Out Of The Ruins' extreme metal attack should find a quality audience next month, and it's great to see them get a local booking during their Move It Or Lose It tour! A co-headlining band at 11:30 PM is to be announced (no word yet on if they'll be local or another touring band), but local death metal veterans The Bear Hunters and alternative hard rock quartet Haggith will open the event, and they'll add their own spin to the proceedings as the night kicks off! This show will uniquely be a co-presentation from both Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie and Haggith's label PaperClip Productions, though no word on if they'll collaborate on promoting other shows together.

This 19+ concert will begin at 9:30 PM, and admission will be $5 via advance ticket sales (details forthcoming) or $7 at the door. For more details on this intriguing concert next month, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, here's some fallout from a pair of weekend concert events! We'll start with the Reggie's Place 25th anniversary street party (which featured Mourning Wood, apologies again for missing their Saturday gig there), which was covered in both this SooToday article and this Sault Online article yesterday. The former is mostly reflective of Reggie's contributions and impact in the past 25 years, while the latter is photo and video heavy, though neither touched on Mourning Wood's set. Reggie's Place largely doesn't cross into our coverage range, but Reggie has sure done a great job with it, and you know it's a big deal when Mayor Christian Provenzano came out! I just hope there's more outdoor street parties like this to come. The other coverage comes from SooToday's Donna Hopper's article on the Lopstock II "bohemian conclave" at LopLops Lounge from yesterday, so what should you know from that event?

The article features remarks from promoter/Gnaeus drummer Brendan Garlick (who promoted last year's as well), where he explained the genesis of the event and his hopes for it. Donna could only stay for the first three bands, so her photos (all in colour) include 6 of Id Iota's set and 8 each from Caroline Divine and indie rockers Aldous. It's disappointing that more bands weren't captured, but three new and rising bands got a nice glimpse via Donna's excellent photos, so check everything out on these events above!

We'll close today with new videos, including two from local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control's YouTube Channel! Both uploaded on Thursday, these both come from their show last week at The New American Pub when they opened for Edmonton's The Archaics. One video is of 15 minutes of their set from an excellent quality camera, and though the editing is sometimes very obvious, the guys sound good, and this has to be the best visual looks I've ever seen from inside The New A on video. Whoever filmed this was well travelled, be they far away or behind the band! Embedded below though is the band's second "vlog", which details assorted goings on before, during, and after the show, alongside clips of their own set. Now featuring on-screen text to credit artists, what can you see in The Pixo Control's second vlog?

The video features remarks and setup from the band, plus cameos by members of The Danger Cats, Gnaeus, and Bad Back, closed captioning for some on-stage banter, and some post-show harmonizing, but the vlog oddly ends with over 20 seconds of no audio or video. It'd be nice to have seen some performance footage of other bands that night, but this is another fun vlog from The Pixo Control, and it's nice to see the production values and post-effects getting better! Check it out below, and more above!



Finally, here's a short new jam session video from local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore! Uploaded to label Blood Shed Productions' Facebook page yesterday, this is of singer/guitarist Tyler Gibson jamming an original, as filmed on a cell phone camera, though the tight and vertical angle is a little too close. Solid aggressive sound though, so give this new C.T.W. video a look below, and keep an eye out for a cameo by Rotopsy's Dylan Taylor!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Buckcherry), A "New" Local Band, And New Videos!!

We're badly behind on news, so let's help clear out some of the back stories with this post! Today, we have a recent Shaw TV interview some of you guys should really like, a full concert video from a prominent former local band, and a "new" local band, but first, here's a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for Sault Michigan!

A major hard rock concert is finally returning to The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on August 13th, and it will be headlined by the return of Buckcherry! This multi-platinum selling hard rock band from Los Angeles will hit the Soo for the first time since March of last year for what should be a huge concert, and with hits like "Lit Up" & "Sorry" in their setlist, and a new album on the way this fall, they should have a great performance lined up next month! Joining them in their Sault Ste. Marie debut will be Tennessee hard rock quartet Fuel, who also have multi platinum success from hit songs like "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" and "Shimmer", and with their original singer Brett Scallions back in the fold, hopefully they can deliver a great set of their own on August 13th! A third band is possible to be added, but this isn't official. Notably, this is Allstar Promotions' first Dreammaker's Theater concert since the My Darkest Days show in April, but if you don't count them as a "hard rock" headlining act, this will be the first hard rock/metal headlining concert at Kewadin Casino since the Stryper/Slaughter show in February, and it's nice to see some heavier music hitting the Dreammaker's Theater in a slower year for big SMS-coverable shows than we've tended to have lately!

Tickets will be $35 for this show, which is lower than Buckcherry's last stop here, while no age limits and a 7:00 PM-ish start time seem likely. Though tickets have yet to show up on Kewadin's online ticket depot, Allstar Promotions indicated they went on sale today, so if you want them A.S.A.P., try the box office in person or by phone at 1-800-KEWADIN until online purchasing pops up. This should be an interesting concert with a lot of recognizable hits and hard rock grooves, so if you like Buckcherry and/or Fuel, keep this concert in mind, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's a "new" band to add to our local metal links, and if you read yesterday's first CASS Cafe video showcase, you may know who we're getting at! The band is named Column Ruins, and they're an inactive alternative/progressive metal trio from Sault Ontario that was roughly active for a year between 2010 and last summer. Their lineup consisted of former Diego Experience guitarist Ben Eppert and former Vendetta bassist Travis Garside, alongside drummer Marcus Doyle (no one was given vocal credit), and though the available information on their Facebook page wouldn't suggest that there's enough there to include in our band links, they did play at least one gig with fellow locals Crimson Crusade at the Bar River Hall in Echo Bay in October 2010. News on Column Ruins stalled in 2011 (last updating their Facebook page in July of last year), but I'm curious to hear what they brought to the table! From what I've seen, Ben and Travis have musical talent, and though I can't find any media of them in action, it's something to watch out for! There's just enough to put them in our inactive Sault Ontario band links, so check Column Ruins out at the above links, and stay tuned for our next CASS Cafe video post likely tomorrow!

We'll close this post with new videos, starting with an awesome new video of local doom metal standouts Woods of Ypres! On Tuesday, former guitarist Bryan Belleau uploaded a full Woods of Ypres concert video from 2008 onto his YouTube channel, which comes from Woods of Ypres' performance at the then-Lock City Grand Theater on November 11th, 2008, which was the first show of their only tour with their 2008 incarnation, featuring every 2008 member of Gates of Winter! As such, this was the only local appearance by the full "Gates of Ypres" lineup (and the first of three after frontman David Gold moved back home), the live Woods debut for Bryan and then-drummer Evan Madden, the only time that Lee Maines, Steve Fµrgiuele, and Brian Holmes played with them live in the Soo, and the last local concert of any type with the classic four Gates of Winter members to date. The video is of Woods of Ypres' full 45 minute set that night, which saw them play the entire "Against The Seasons" EP from start to finish, as bookended by two "Woods III" songs ("Your Ontario Town Is A Burial Ground" & "The Northern Cold"), and the latter is particularly rare to find live videos of, so it's notable even on that basis!

The lighting is mostly dark but it fits their sound well, as this was their last local show with no doom metal-leaning material, and the guys sound really good here! Their six-piece lineup definitely wasn't overkill, and even on the songs that didn't originally have keyboard, they meshed well, and it's a bummer that this lineup didn't go further. The harsher vocals on "The Northern Cold" are also interesting, and this gave me some nice nostalgia from when I saw this show live! Kudos to Bryan for uploading this, so check it out below, and if I hear of more archive Woods of Ypres videos to share, you know I'll have them here!



Finally for this post, here's a recent Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie news piece that we completely missed for the site, despite it's own music connections! Uploaded last week, this ran last month on Shaw channel 10 presumably for a week, and it's about the recent renaissance of vinyl records with music fans & collectors. Produced & narrated by Christian Lemay, it features remarks from The Rad Zone's Paul Muncaster & Evan Belleau (a.k.a. Garden of Bedlam's bassist) along with local vinyl collector Brock Thivierge and audio enthusiast/record player repairman Ron Vincent about the appeal of collecting and listening to vinyl records compared to newer music technologies like CDs and mp3s, and though there's no direct metal link, I know darn well that a vinyl record still has a wide range of fans and appreciative listeners that understand why a record is special! Myself, I grew up as CDs were getting popular and cassettes were the norm in vehicles, so I didn't experience vinyl much, but there's definitely a special something about listening to music on a vinyl record and the care and detail in much of the packaging, so this video has a lot of resonance! Check it out below, and stay tuned for more Shaw TV videos that could fit on the SMS both on channel 10 and online!